Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 504: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of the safety concerns, which have been expressed about the safety of children and the very real dangers that exist at a school (details supplied) in County Longford, in relation to parking and the lack of a safe exiting area for the children leaving school each afternoon, he will take steps to have the situation examined [i]in situ[/i] and assist the school authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43992/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care including traffic management measures. In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, it is the responsibility of school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. Schools are obliged to identify possible hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and to put appropriate safeguards in place.

Issues of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools, such as road signage, traffic calming measures etc., are a matter that should be raised in the first instance with the relevant Local Authority.

The vast majority of existing primary school sites is owned by parish/diocesan authorities, not by my Department. The funding arrangements relating to the purchase of sites, in place since January 1999 were approved by the Minister for Finance subject to the condition that ownership of the property thus financed was vested in the State. Consequently, my Department does not fund the purchase of site extensions unless the whole site is vested in the State.